Extracting dragon blood isn’t as simple as laying a corpse in front of you and slicing it open with a knife.
That’s just not realistic.
For starters, when all that’s left is a skeleton, where exactly are you going to cut with a little knife?
And even if you did manage to make a cut, the ordinary blood that flows out isn’t capable of merging at all.
Su Liumeng stood below the massive skeleton, bracing her body against the endless natural pressure spilling down from above, forcing herself to keep straight and climbing upward with all her might.
Just this single step of climbing would be enough to defeat anyone lacking in deep cultivation or immense willpower.
After so many years of research, the Su Family had developed a standardized extraction method: first, you had to locate where the dragon marrow was, and then use a special array to extract the remaining blood, which had transformed into fragments of rules.
Su Liumeng didn’t even know what kind of dragon she was climbing right now; she could only bet that it was a type she hadn’t fused with yet.
Five hours later.
With her portable mini-array, Su Liumeng finally extracted a large basin of dark red blood.
She stared at the basin, her gaze flickering with uncertainty.
Red blood?
Is this—Red Dragon?
Come to think of it, is there even a Red Dragon? Logically, there should be True Dragons representing red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
After all, that’s the simplest way to name them.
Of course, there are other ways to name True Dragons too.
No point thinking so much—just absorb it first. Anyway, this dragon blood is a different color from any she’s fused before.
Don’t be fooled by how much blood is in this basin; compared to the skeleton’s mountain-like size, if you scale it down to human proportions, it’s really only a single drop.
Su Liumeng returned to the ground.
She was on high alert, carefully scanning her surroundings.
Fusing dragon blood is an extremely dangerous process. The Su Family, after years of study, does have ways to slightly reduce the risk.
But she didn’t have the luxury of time now, so she could only take the risk, choosing the fastest—and riskiest—method.
Therefore—
She absolutely could not be disturbed during this process, or else it would end in a tragic death and the destruction of her path.
Su Liumeng took out an array brush and carefully drew array patterns on the ground.
By the time she finished, the sky outside had already grown dark.
She looked up at the pitch-black night, suddenly thinking of that girl who was always on her mind.
It’s so late—she must already be in bed by now.
Su Liumeng shook her head, formed an earth-escape hand seal, and burrowed into the ground.
*****
November 5th.
For the past five days, I hadn’t gone out to play. Instead, I listened to Su Liumeng’s advice and stayed at home alone, fiddling with the educational puzzle I bought for my baby to play with in the future.
“Mommy, you’re so silly! This piece is supposed to go here… It’s clearly part of the rabbit’s foot, how can you just stick it on the eyeball?”
After the Nth time I put a piece in the wrong place, Sizhiyu’s tone began to collapse, as if she wanted to crawl out of my belly herself and do it by hand, instead of just getting anxious in my sea of consciousness.
I smiled awkwardly. “Yes, my baby is so smart.” I really was distracted just now.
Mainly, this puzzle is just too hard. There are thousands of tiny pieces, each one barely bigger than a fingernail. It’s perfectly normal to mess up if you lose focus.
“Mommy, I really don’t like playing such childish games. Can’t you give me something more challenging?”
“Chi… Childish?” The puzzle piece in my hand suddenly slipped to the floor, and a trace of loneliness and sadness appeared in my eyes.
I thought she’d be like me.
I was always happy playing games with my baby.
Seeing my mood drop instantly, Sizhiyu suddenly fell silent, her tone growing flustered. “No, no, it’s not childish at all. Zhizhi likes playing any game with Mommy.”
“It’s fine, you don’t have to comfort me.” I stood up with a blank face, swept the pile of puzzle pieces off the table with my arm, and the tiny fragments scattered to the floor with a clatter. “I get it, these really are too childish and not suitable for you.”
“Mama.” Sizhiyu’s voice was anxious, as if she was trying to think of a way to comfort me.
I gave a soft laugh, cutting her off. “I’m really fine, just felt a little sad all of a sudden…”
I wasn’t really angry, just a bit downhearted…
The childish one has always been me.
Maybe I’ve just been too well protected lately?
I’d never played with things like this before—not even when I was very little. I never had the chance to, so I got a little too curious.
“I can’t force you to like something just because I think it’s interesting.”
I looked out at the sunlight streaming through the window and took a deep breath. “In that case, let’s go fishing by the river.”
Sizhiyu paused for a moment, then asked a soul-searching question, “Mommy, do you know how to swim?”
“No.”
“If you fall into the water, what should you do?” Sizhiyu’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was full of caution, gently persuading me, “Maybe… it’s better not to go to the river. You’re carrying a belly now, it’s too dangerous.”
She could, in fact, turn virtual into real and intervene in reality, but she’s still developing. Anything that leaks energy will slow her growth.
She wants to be born soon and keep Mommy company.
I stood on the balcony, looking down at the flowers and grass below.
Now, where else is there for me to go?
After thinking it over, I pressed down my thoughts and went back to the living room to watch TV.
*****
November 10th.
I’d been at home for almost ten days. Even with Zhizhi talking to me every day, I was about to go stir-crazy.
Pregnancy makes it easy to overthink and get emotional. A dark room all alone was really starting to get to me.
Besides, I was never the kind of person who liked staying indoors.
Suddenly, I thought of something fun. What’s more fun than shopping? “Zhizhi, shall we go to the mall?” My mood spiked with excitement. I could buy some maternity clothes and maybe some matching outfits for the future—lots of fun things, way better than staying at home.
“Sure!” Sizhiyu replied softly. “Let’s call your buddy too. If she comes along, she can help support you, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Okay.” Actually, I didn’t want anyone at school to know I was pregnant, but going out with Shangguan Xiyue meant she could drive, so it was a win-win.
Fifteen minutes later, Shangguan Xiyue arrived at my door.
I’d been waiting by the garage for a while.
There were always cars at Su Liumeng’s villa—otherwise, what would Uncle Wang drive?
He’s just a driver; it’s not like the car is his personal property.
Shangguan Xiyue looked at the limited-edition business car in front of her and clicked her tongue inwardly. “Xinxin, I’m lucky to know you. They say don’t look down on the poor when they’re young—who would’ve thought I’d get to drive a luxury car worth tens of millions?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, covering my lips as I giggled. Even with no makeup, my face still had a girlish charm. “You’re not poor. Why do you make it sound like you pick up trash for a living? I’m the real ordinary one here, all right? I just happened to meet you guys.”
Hearing that, Shangguan Xiyue laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. “Xinxin, you’re starting to joke around like me now!”
“Even if I don’t know your background, the way you talk and act is nothing like an ordinary person.”
“Only those big families with real heritage could raise a lady as graceful as you.”
I had just closed the car door and sat in the back seat when I froze for a second.
Me, graceful?
How did she see that?
In the car, I sighed to myself. Shangguan Xiyue was one of the people I trusted most, so I decided to confide in her a little, just to give her a heads-up. “Cat Cat, if I told you I was also part of the Su Family, would you believe me?”
“At least, I used to be…” I added, “And I was just a step away from the core circle.”
Shangguan Xiyue’s expression was priceless. She seemed to have heard something like this before, but never took it seriously. Now, hearing me say it so earnestly, she suddenly thought of a possibility. “Wait, does that mean… you and Su Liumeng really knew each other when you were little?”
“That’s right.” My voice was crisp and clear. “I met her before I was ten…”
“So—that’s childhood sweethearts?” Shangguan Xiyue gasped, then quickly corrected herself, “No, no, it’s sisterly affection?”
“If you want to talk about sisters…” My voice suddenly grew weak. “Cat Cat, do you think I’m the elder sister or the younger one?”
I slowly looked up, my tone serious and my eyes full of expectation as I gazed at the front seat.
To my surprise, Shangguan Xiyue didn’t even hesitate. “Is that even a question? Of course you’re the younger one…”
My expression stiffened almost imperceptibly, and my words stumbled out as if I couldn’t believe it. “Shangguan Xiyue, do you really think so?”
“Of course.” Shangguan Xiyue even analyzed it logically. “First, your personality isn’t that assertive, right? It’s obvious you’ve been especially well protected, like a little flower in a greenhouse. You’ve definitely played the little sister role for a long time, showered with love and care. Second, you’re not as tall as Su Liumeng. People naturally see you as the younger one. Plus, Su Liumeng is strong-willed, obviously the elder, always out there fighting for you to have a more comfortable life.”
The more I listened, the stiffer my expression became.
Her analysis was so logical that even I was almost convinced.
But how could I refute it?
All I could do was grit my teeth and swallow my frustration, replying in a tone that sounded both sarcastic and resentful, “You’re right. Maybe I really am the younger one.”
Shangguan Xiyue paused. “Wait, did I get it wrong?”
“That can’t be. Whenever Su Liumeng talks to me, she always calls you her little sister. Like, ‘Take care of my little sister,’ or ‘My little sister likes this, don’t forget to prepare it when I’m gone,’ things like that. There are so many examples, I can’t even count them all…”
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